When a homeless man is found tortured and murdered in a Sacramento alley, FBI special agent Megan Elliot has little to go on but a set of military tags. Then when another retired soldier is ambushed, tortured and murdered like the first, Megan realizes she's dealing with a serial killer, possibly a pair of killers. She and her boss, Hans Vigo, head to a small Texas town to follow up on the latest killing, and it's there she runs into Jack Kincaid, an ex- military man.

Soldier-for-hire Jack Kincaid heads to California to visit his family. While he's gone, his friend is murdered, and by the time he gets back to Texas, the FBI have arrived and the local police are not co-operating. Frustrated and angry, Jack insists on shadowing the FBI agents and uses his contacts to push the investigation into high gear.

The killers each have their own agenda, their own primary target. As one sinks into a dark abyss, the other becomes more manipulative, cold and deadly. Time is running out and mistakes are being made. They know the FBI is only a few steps behind, know that all the little clues left behind at each murder are leading Megan to the truth.

SUDDEN DEATH is the first of a new FBI trilogy from Ms. Brennan. It's a first-rate book, superbly plotted and executed, with exceptional characters. A real page-turner with twists and turns all the way to the end. I could not put this book down. Highly recommended.